Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Leblanc.
Hi Alex, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
As a past owner of an independent Painting Contracting business for 33 years, I left that industry to pursue a career that was very dear to my heart. After much research and reviewing other potential business ventures, I came across a Google post showcasing a mobile ice cream for a dog business that was very successful in Britain. To my surprise and much research, there were no other businesses like that here in my area of town. I am fortunate to have a brother who is a chemist, and through our combined efforts and many trials and errors, we developed a natural base that was lactose-free for dogs.
Now with this base, my wife and I began to experiment with different flavors that would be pleasing for dogs. One of my best memories as a child was my grandmother’s famous” Peanut Butter Cookie” recipe. We had to somehow incorporate this recipe. This lead to our most popular flavor our now famous Peanut Butter Bacon flavored ice cream. Another main issue that was important to have, all of our ice creams have No Preservatives, No Additives, and No Added Sugar. The quality of our products is dear to us, something that is not found in other brands.
However soon thereafter, we were blessed to rescue a German Shorthaired Pointer (from an abusive owner) whom we named “Luckee”. This was a match made in heaven. He was so skittish when we first got him, but we soon grew to love him and spoiled him. We quickly learned that it was he that rescued us and stole our hearts. Not only was he our K9 tester, but we named our business after him, Luckee Dog K9 Treats! And by the way, Luckee’s absolute favorite treat is the Peanut Butter Bacon flavored ice cream. We knew we had a winner!
We soon grew and expanded by purchasing an ice cream van that was designed with a catchy cartoon-like caricature of dogs on it. Soon our slogan was added to the van, “Lick it! Slurp it! Chew it!”. One day, I approached a dear friend who worked at a dog business. She proceeded to share her contacts with us. One Of them was the Jacksonville Humane Society, where I was given permission to park my van at their next outdoor event. Needless to say, this was a huge success, which led to many months of working their events. We didn’t sell to the public till after six months to be sure that our frozen treats were 100% safe for all dogs.
The word began to spread, our demand grew exponentially that we began booking other events throughout the city. We now sell throughout Florida, as far as Naples. Luckee, who always traveled with us, became the center of attention. everywhere we went. He proudly earned the title “President” of Luckee Dog LLC. As our business grew, one day we received a phone call from a friend that owned his own Pet store. He ordered a case containing 24 treats. Upon advertising his store on social media, within 2 days another large order was placed. He sold out in 1 1/2 days later.
We developed many other popular flavors “PB&J”, “Pumpkin Patch”, and “Berry Colada”. We soon realized we needed more space for our fast-growing business. The demand was so great, we sold our van and rented a commercial building, to handle more machinery and mass-produce at a larger scale. On a sad note, on July 1st, 2021 we had to let our President “Luckee” cross over the rainbow bridge. We miss him dearly but his memory lives on as “Luckee Dog”
We are so grateful and thankful to the people of Jacksonville for helping us make us a powerhouse in the pet retail business.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
In the beginning, we did struggle by entering an untapped market. People were very skeptical at first, so, therefore, we gave out free samples and encouraged the puppy parents to provide us with feedback and videos. We proceeded to ask the owners to post pictures and videos of their dogs enjoying our ice cream products on our social media page.
It was a good strategic move on our part. We now cater to an excess of 40 locations throughout Florida and grow every day. We’re always looking to expand!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Luckee Dog is a known name brand of dog ice cream throughout Florida. We start with a base product and add all-natural ingredients, to create our now known “Luckee Dog K9 Treats”.
What does success mean to you?
Research! Research and more research! A lot of sleepless nights, hard work, and commitment. Never give up on your dream of owning your own business.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @luckees_k9_kool_treats
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/LuckeeDog
